In 2012 the U.S. Postal Service continues its Celebrating Lunar New Year series with a Year of the Dragon stamp, the fifth in the series. The stamp art shows the head of a colorful dragon against a brilliant blue sky. The Year of the Dragon begins on January 23, 2012, and ends on February 9, 2013.
In the United States as elsewhere, the occasion is marked in various ways across many cultures, often with parades and parties. Performing before delighted crowds, skilled teams of dancers manipulate colorful dragon figures such as the one depicted in the stamp art. By tradition, dragons are not feared, but are considered magical or divine, hence auspicious at this time of renewed hope for the future. Lucky foods are eaten — kumquats, for example (issued in 2011) — and given as gifts. Festive lanterns, colored red for luck (issued in 2008), are common decorations at Lunar New Year celebrations, where they are frequently hung in rows.
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